Conservation Co-investment offer - Landholder Expression of Interest Form

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Before you get started

To submit an expression of interest, we recommend you have the following information available:

the property owner's name, as registered on the property's title.
the ABN or ACN and business name of the property (if applicable)
the size of your proposed conservation area (in hectares)
the Lot and DP number of your proposed conservation area – you can find this on your Council Rates Notice, normally under the heading Property Location and Description.

Co-contribution requirement

To be eligible for this offer, a matched 1:1 co-investment is required.

Where a co-investment contribution is yet to be secured, eligible applicants have the option of promoting their site on our Co-investment Noticeboard to secure an investment partner.

Important information for landholders

Submitting an expression of interest (EOI) is your first step to participating in our Conservation Co-investments offer.

An EOI assessment will determine initial eligibility of the landholder and site before an application can proceed to a site visit. After completing and submitting this form, you will receive an email inviting you to map your proposed conservation area via a supplied online link. Please open and set area boundaries within 10 days of receiving the link.

Following the site visit, we will confirm eligibility to participate in the conservation co-investment offer and the values of your site will be quantified. Accepting a site visit does not commit you to participating in the offer. If you require assistance call us on 1300 992 688 or visit our website at nsw.gov.au/bct.

Program eligibility

To be eligible for the Conservation Co-investment pathway, you must be:

willing to enter a new, in-perpetuity conservation agreement and;
able to match our funding (1:1) for the long-term management of your site.

This co-investment can come from you or a third-party investor. In-kind support may form part of your contribution but must not count for more than 50% of your total contribution.

If you haven't secured a co-investor yet, eligible applications can be promoted on our Co-investment Noticeboard, an online platform that helps connect landholders with potential investors by highlighting your project's key details and funding needs.

Participant eligibility

You can submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) as:

An individual landholder submitting a single property for consideration; or
A landholder with multiple properties (up to 10) under the same ownership; or
A lead applicant for a collaborative application involving multiple landholders (up to 10), provided all properties contribute to a shared conservation objective.
A lead applicant on behalf of a landholder/s, where the landholder/s has provided formal consent for the application to be lodged

Each participating landholder will be assessed independently and, if successful, will enter into a separate agreement with us.

Site eligibility

To be considered for the Conservation Co-investment offer, your proposed conservation area/s must:

Have eligible land (freehold or crown leasehold land) with no existing in-perpetuity conservation agreement; and
Be in an eligible Local Government Area (LGA)
Be of sufficient scale with proposals greater than 500 hectares preferred, with larger areas given priority when deciding where to invest
Deliver significant biodiversity outcomes for at least two (2) Conservation Co-investment priorities.

Eligible land includes:

Private land: freehold or Crown leasehold. Aboriginal-owned land- please see Landholder Guide for more information.
Public protected areas are not eligible.

Travelling Stock Reserves (TSRs) or other publicly owned land may be considered at our discretion if additional investment is needed to secure long-term protection of biodiversity values that would not otherwise occur.

Full landholder and site eligibility is available in the downloadable Landholder Guide (PDF 1.59MB).

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Co-investment contribution

Have you secured a co-investment contribution?

Yes 

No

Name of partner:

Indicative contribution:

Your co-contribution can include in-kind support (up to 50%), such as the value of fencing, weed control or revegetation. You’ll need to provide supporting evidence for in-kind costs, such as quotes or standard rates. The remaining amount must be a cash contribution. We will work with eligible applicants to confirm contribution requirements post site assessment.

Partners will need to fill out the Request for information form (PDF 120.39KB).

Are you in the process of securing a co-investment contribution?

Yes 

No

Would you like to publish your property on the Co-investment Noticeboard to seek a partner if your site is deemed eligible?

Yes 

No

Note: Applicants are unable to proceed beyond site assessment until they have secured a co-investment contribution.

Type of agreement

What conservation agreement you are applying for?

A property that has significant unique attributes (size and/or conservation value). A series of properties under one owner that have significant unique attributes with a common conservation objective.A series of properties with different owners that have significant unique attributes that are achieving a common conservation objective – usually a corridor.

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Publication of information

What information gets published?

If you enter into a conservation agreement with us as part of this Conservation Co-investment offer, the following information (including information you have provided in this form) will be disclosed on the public register of private land conservation agreements:

whether the agreement is a biodiversity stewardship agreement, a conservation agreement or a wildlife refuge agreement,
Unique agreement identifier
The duration of the agreement
The BCT Region in which the land to which the agreement relates is situated
Funding status
Date of registration on title
Size of the agreement (hectares)
Whether the agreement is an offset
the local government area in which the land to which the agreement relates is situated,
any Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation of Australia

Privacy Notice

Information from this form is collected for the purpose of administering our Conservation Co-investment offer, and consideration of your eligibility for our other programs and future opportunities.

We may use information provided on this form to contact you about those programs and opportunities. The supply of this information is voluntary. However, if you do not provide the information, we will not be able to consider your application.

The Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009 may require us to publicly disclose information you have provided in this form – for example, in response to an access application made under that Act.

Information from this form may be disclosed to the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water to assist with administering any agreement you enter into with us as a result of this application and maintaining public registers.

Your details will be stored in accordance with the requirements of the State Records Act 1998 and securely destroyed once it is no longer needed.

Information will be stored and managed in accordance with provisions under the Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act 1998 and our Privacy Statement. It will not be used for any other purpose and will not be given to any other third party except where required or authorised by law.

You may access or correct your personal information by contacting info@bct.nsw.gov.au or the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water's Information Access and Privacy unit on 02 8275 1095 or gipa.dcceew@environment.nsw.gov.au.

Declaration

Publication of information and privacy notice

I have read and agree to the terms

I can confirm that I meet the eligible requirements for the Conservation Co-investment offer outlined on the first page of this form.

I have read and agree

I have confirmed that I have consent to submit this Expression of Interest on behalf of all landholders associated with this property.

Please note the we can only enter a conservation agreement with the owners of the land as listed on the land title.

I agree

You allow for us to conduct an in-person site visit and ecological survey on your elected property if you progress through the eligibility round.

I understand

I can confirm that, should my project be eligible, I agree to having the details of my project on the Conservation Co-investment noticeboard.

I have read and agree

I confirm that I give permission for the BCT to provide me with information about potential co-investors should my project receive interest. I understand that it is my choice whether to engage with any co-investor.

I have read and agree

I confirm that I am not a close family member of any BCT staff or BCT Board member or contractor engaged by the BCT.

I agreeI am a close family member of a BCT staff or BCT Board member or contractor and acknowledge this may affect my eligibility